How much planning and research do you put into looking at restaurants before you visit a destination?

If you are like me, choosing where to tempt taste buds is an integral part of your research, which includes a hodgepodge of online restaurant menu reviews, multiple review sites and, of course, instagram worthy pics. I carefully curated a list of tasty temptations for my restaurant visits to Blue Ridge. But then something else caught my eye—a store called Taste of Amish.

Wait, Amish? Isn’t that relegated to Pennsylvania? Sort of. It turns out that the owners of Taste of Amish are just really interested in Amish food and culture. And after learning quite a bit about the Amish way of life, they decided to open a store in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Curious as to what I’d find in this store and a lover of all things food, I knew I had to make a stop at Taste of Amish to check out their goods.

Luckily for anyone visiting Blue Ridge, Taste of Amish is conveniently located right off the main highway and nearly everyone that is staying in the town will no doubt pass right by this unique store. Here are some of the items you definitely want to try at Taste of Amish in Blue Ridge:

1. Bear Jam: A mixture of all sorts of berries, this jam is certainly a crowd pleaser. If that’s not your jam (see what I did there?) you can also get elderberry, FROG jam, or any number of delicious jams too.
2. Bread and Butter Pickles: I love snacking on these kinds of pickles, don’t you? The sweetness is perfect and I eat them right out of the jar.
3. Licorice: Truth be told, I’m not a licorice fan. We all know you either love it or hate it. My husband falls into the “love” category. He’s not much into sweets but he does love his licorice. He loved it so much, in fact, we had to stop by Taste of Amish to get some on the way back out of town. This isn’t that cheap candy store kind either, this is quality licorice, according to my husband.
4. Roll Butter: Butter is butter right? Nope. Turns out that most butter is made from the leftover parts of the cheese making process. This one is not and you can certainly taste the difference.
5. Whole Wheat Fig Bars: These aren’t those overly processed, bad-for-you, sweets that are full of sugar. Nope—these are the real deal. We only purchased one pack, but I wish we bought two, as they were quickly devoured during our Blue Ridge trip.
6. Rainbow Trout: Yes, in addition to dry goods and sweets, TOA also has a refrigerated and frozen section of meats and fish. So perhaps you went trout fishing and weren’t so lucky? They’ve got you covered!

If you are making a trip up to Blue Ridge, you are most likely staying in a cabin. So, instead of dining out day after day, night after night, why not pick a night or two to stay in and just enjoy your cabin, surroundings and the people you are with? And, it just gets better when you’ve picked up some delicious, quality made treats from a local store like Taste of Amish.